A Product Designer/Developer is required to join an independent mapping company based just north of Oxford.
The development of map based products has formed the driver to the company’s growth for the last few years. The company’s strategy is to continue the development of new products under their Maps International brand and build on their strong growth in the UK and overseas markets.
They are looking for a talented junior designer/new product designer/product design traffic manager.
You will have a degree or equivalent design qualification, you will ideally have 1+ years design experience or maybe you are fresh from Uni ready to get into a job and show off your talent.
The responsibilities for this role will include:
- To help collate basic ideas for new products from a number of sources such as the internal team, externally by talking to customers, distributors and also by doing market research.
- Tracking trends in the marketplace.
- Investigating developments in materials or manufacturing techniques and how these could be used.
The company has an established product development process which you will be expected to manage.
- Brainstorming meetings with the internal team, revolving around key calendar dates such as Christmas or Father’s Day etc.
- Regularly discussions with our customers, distributors and attending trade shows to get feedback on how the current products are received and could be developed.
- Review potential ideas with the internal teams to look at how the product would fit with sales channels, determine what would be a realistic sales price and what level of sales could be expected.
- Collating ideas from all areas and assessing their fit within the market place and their current product ranges. Investigate potential manufacturing costs and suppliers.
- Monthly sign-off meetings to present, review and sign-off new ideas for product development.
To sign off a new product idea for full development you would need to have researched the market place along with manufacturing costs and potential selling price. This would need to include any packaging.
- Product design and development loop
You would manage the complete design and development process, possibly using internal or external designers and talking to manufacturers. A key element is to gather input and feedback from relevant people at various stages.
Ideally you will have:
- A product design degree or equivalent design qualification
- 1+ years’ design experience (post-grad or placement experience acceptable)
- Strong knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign.
- NO prior experience of working in the mapping or gift or children’s industry but an awareness of the market is useful
- A range of proven practical skills and a willingness to get your hands dirty are essential
- Ability to develop products from initial design to delivery and to manage a number of design projects at once, all of which are likely to be at different stages.
The company offers a profit related bonus scheme.